This invention relates to certain novel telomers and to a process for producing such telomers. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a process for producing telomers by contacting vinyl chloride with .beta.-diketones wherein said .beta.-diketones have two ketone groups bonded to a common carbon atom and wherein said carbon atom is further bonded to at least one hydrogen atom.
Telomerization reactions wherein taxogens are reacted with telogens have been known for many years. Numerous patents have been issued in the field of telomers, said patents describing various types of utility for these materials. The prior art patents teach that telomers are useful as solvents, plasticizers, wax substitutes, and heat transfer media. Illustrative of such prior art patents is U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,474 which discloses that dichlorobutenes such as 3,4-dichloro-1-butene and 1,4-dichloro-2-butene react with vinyl chloride to form telomers which are polyhalogenated alkenes. However, in the prefiling search, no relevant patents were located which suggested the use of .beta.diketones as telogens in a telomerization reaction with vinyl chloride.